Interchangeable footwear

ABSTRACT

The invention described herein relates to the filed of footwear. In particular the present invention provides for interchangeable footwear, wherein the appearance of the footwear is readily interchangeable to suit the style of the intended wearer, the interchangeable components being the toe straps and ankle straps that secure the footwear to an individual&#39;s feet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of interchangeable footwear,wherein the appearance of the footwear is readily interchangeable tosuit the style of the intended wearer. Specifically the inventionrelates to footwear having an interchangeable ankle strap and aninterchangeable toe strap such that various decorative straps can beutilized with a single article of footwear. The interchangeable footwearallows for an individual to dress for the occasion without the need forhaving an extensive personal inventory of shoes that are both costly andspace consuming.

Several different types of interchangeable footwear have been developedover the years starting back as early as the 1940's. These styles rangein form from shoes that provide for adjustment of the shoe upper thatsuit the individual anatomical differences of an individual's feet toshoes that provide a means for interchanging the entire shoe upperincluding the insole.

Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 2,507,120 (Shapiro) describes a shoe whereinthe shoe upper is detachable from the sole via fastener elements toprovide a shoe that is convertible into a house shoe, a shoe for streetwear or a sandal, the shoe being adjustable to fit variations in aperson's anatomical foot structure. U.S. Pat. No. 2,552,943 (Danielius)describes shoes having detachable uppers, whereby the upper is readilydetachable from the shoe via co-operating detachable engageableelements, e.g., loop fastening element. U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,224(Gardiner) describes a shoe with a detachable upper, wherein the upperis attachable to the sole via insertion of a “T” member into a traversetack or channel positioned around the periphery of the insole, outsoleor platform of the shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 2,809,449 (Smith) describes ashoe with a detachable upper, whereby the upper is attached to the soleof a shoe via a slide fastener element that locks into a locking means.U.S. Pat. No. 3,016,630 (Twiggs Jr.) describes a shoe whereby the upperis detachable from the sole via various means such as snaps, sockets andkey slots.

Other patents include: U.S. Pat. No. 2,583,826 (Fischer) which describesshoes with interchangeable panels, whereby the interchangeable panelscan be attached to a plurality of spaced apart straps that arepermanently affixed to the shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 2,887,795 (Taicher)describes a shoe with an readily removable, ornamental, interchangeablevamp area, whereby the interchangeable vamp is fixedly attached to theshoe via headed studs. U.S. Pat. No. 3,032,896 (Weaver) describes aconvertible shoe, whereby a vamp cover can be attached to a vamp toprovide various colors and shades to the shoe. U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,346(Lockard et al.) describes a shoe with an interchangeable upper, wherebythe upper is attached to trackways and/or slots of the sole of the shoevia buttons or knobs attached to the upper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,214(Wang) describes a changeable sandal, whereby interchangeable vamps areinserted into the sole of the sandal via L-shaped angles and U.S. Pat.No. 4,439,935 (Kelly) describes convertible footwear, whereby aninterchangeable shoe upper composed of a vamp and an insole as aunit-construction can be attached to a shoe base.

Although many of these patents describe various forms of interchangeablefootwear, all of these patents require relatively complicated means formanufacture and interchanging of the various components. For example,several of these patents require multiple attachment means utilizingnumerous parts. It would therefore be advantageous to provide footwearthat allows for a more simplistic attachment of the interchangeablecomponents to provide for more economical, yet esthetically appealingfootwear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide economical, yetesthetically appealing footwear.

It is another object of the present invention to provide footwear withinterchangeable straps that are readily attached thereto and removabletherefrom allowing the wearer to readily change the color, fabric, anddesign of the footwear as desired.

The above objects and others are accomplished by providing footwearhaving a base unit comprising a sole and an opening in the front portionof the base unit that allows for the attachment of interchangeablesupport straps that provide a means of securing the footwear on anindividual's feet.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the footwear contains anopening on the front portion of the base unit whereby toe straps can beattached therethrough to provide a means of keeping the footwear on anindividual's feet. In certain embodiments the opening contains a strapadjustment to allow for forward and backward movement of the strap alongthe base unit so that an individual may adjust the strap to fit theindividual's anatomical foot structure.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the footwear comprises a baseunit having an outsole, midsole, insole and a heel. In other preferredembodiments the base unit also comprises a heel support. The heelsupport may contain an ankle strap slot, whereby another interchangeablestrap can be attached to provide an additional means for securing thefootwear on an individual's feet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings are illustrative of embodiments of the inventionand are not meant to limit the scope of the invention as encompassed bythe claims.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a base unit of an interchangeable footwear.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the interchangeable footwear of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a back view of the interchangeable footwear of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The footwear disclosed herein can be used for various purposes such as,but not limited to indoor use as, e.g., slippers, or for outdoor use,e.g., sandals, pumps, flats, or comfort, casual and formal wear. In onepreferred embodiment, the footwear described herein preferably willcomprise a base unit 1 having an outsole 2, a midsole 3 and an insole 4with an opening 7 in the front portion of the base unit 1 for attachmentof a toe strap 8 therethrough, the midsole 3 being fixedly attached tothe top of the outsole 2 and the insole 4 being fixedly attached to thetop portion of the midsole 3. In certain embodiments, the outsole 2,midsole 3 and insole 4 can be a single solid unit made up of the samematerial. In other embodiments, the outsole 2, midsole 3 and insole 4can be made up of individual components of the same or differentmaterial.

In certain embodiments of the invention, the front portion of the baseunit 1 preferably has a single opening 7 for attachment of a single toestrap 8. In other preferred embodiments, the base unit 1 contains aplurality of openings 7 a for attachment of a plurality of toe straps 8a. The opening(s) 7 (7 a) being made up of various shapes and sizes suchas, but not limited to, circular, elliptical, oval, rectangular, square,and triangular shapes. The opening(s) 7 (7 a) of the present inventionpreferably has a length in the range from about 1/16 inch to about 2inches, and more preferably from about ½ inch to about 1 inch. Theopening(s) 7 (7 a) preferably has a width in the range from about 0.5 mmto about 10 mm, more preferably from about 1 mm to about 5 mm.

The toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) of the present invention is changeably(unfixedly) attached to the base unit 1 via insertion of the toestrap(s) 8 (8 a) into one side of the opening(s) 7 (7 a) and pulledthere through such that one end of the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) ispositioned on the left side of the base unit 1 and the opposite end ofthe toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) is positioned on the right side of the baseunit. Once in place, the opposite ends of the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) canbe fastened together either by use of a fastening device 11 or bydirectly tying both ends of the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) together, thusproviding a means for securing the footwear on the feet of theindividual.

In other preferred embodiments, the footwear may contain a heel 5fixedly attached to the bottom of the outsole 2. The heel 5 beingpositioned at the back portion of the base unit 1, and extendingdownward from the bottom of the outsole 2, the length of the heel 5preferably ranging from about ⅛ inch to about 6 inches, more preferablyfrom about ½ inch to about 4 inches, and most preferably from about 1inch to about 3 inches.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the footwear may containa heel support 6 fixedly attached to the top of the outsole 2, the heelsupport 6 being positioned at the back portion of the outsole 2, theheel support 6 providing support for an individual's heel. The heelsupport 6 may be a solid support or a single strap fixedly attached tothe top of the insole 4 positioned at the back portion of the insole 4.In other embodiments of the present invention, the footwear may containa heel support 6 having a plurality of straps that are fixedly attachedto the top of the insole 4 in an adjacent manner to one another.

With any of the above-mentioned embodiments, the heel support 6 maycontain a single ankle strap slot 10 attached thereto for changeableattachment of an ankle strap 9. In other embodiments, the heel support 6may contain a plurality of ankle strap slots 10, the ankle strap slot(s)10 being fixedly attached to the heel support 6 for changeableattachment of a plurality of ankle straps 9. When the footwear of thepresent invention contains a heel support 6, the ankle strap slot(s) 10may be positioned along the inside surface or the outside surface of theheel support 6. In other embodiments, the ankle strap slot may extendthrough both the inner and outer surface of the heel support 6.

When the footwear of the present invention contains a heel support 6having a single strap, the ankle strap slot(s) 10 may be positioned atthe top of the strap. Multiple ankle strap slots 10 can be positionedadjacent to one another along the single strap. The invention alsocontemplates the use of multiple ankle strap slots 10 when the footwearcontains a plurality of straps as well.

The ankle strap slot(s) 10 of the present invention contain an openingpreferably ranging from 1/16 inch to about 1 inch, preferably from about⅛ inch to about ¾ of an inch.

The composition of the heel support 6, the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a), theankle strap(s) 9 as well as any of the other components of the base unit1 of the present invention may comprise various materials or fabricssuitable for use in footwear. For example, the heel support 6, the toestrap(s) 8 (8 a), the ankle strap(s) 9 and any of the other componentsof the base unit 1 can comprise, but not be limited to, leather,plastic, velcro, rubber, silk, rayon, cotton, denim, polyester,cashmere, twill, corduroy, satin, angora, natural and/or synthetic fur,vinyl, suede, licra, gems, stones, gold, silver, platinum and the likeor any combinations thereof.

It is contemplated that the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) and the ankle strap(s)9 of the present invention can be various lengths and widths to allowfor greater interchangeability and function. The toe strap(s) 8 (8 a)and the ankle strap(s) 9 can be from about 1/16 inch in width to about 2inches in width, preferably from about ⅛ inch to about 1 inch. Incertain embodiments, the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) and the ankle straps 9 canbe preferably from about 2 inches in length to about 10 inches inlength, more preferably from about 4 inches in length to about 8 inchesin length.

The materials, sizes and shapes of the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) and theankle strap(s) 9 should be amendable for providing numerous designs orfashions, thereby allowing the footwear of the present invention to bemultifunctional for many activities and occasions.

The footwear of the present invention can be secured to an individual'sfeet by use of a fastener 11 or plurality of fasteners 11. A fastener 11may be utilized to fasten the end of the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) and/orankle strap(s) 9 together, thus providing a means for securing thefootwear to the feet of an individual. Fastening devices 11 of thepresent invention may include, but is not limited to, a buckle, velcro,a snap, a button, a headed stud, a pin, a clip, a clamp, a coupling, ahook, a latch, a lock, a bracelet or chain or any combinations of theforegoing. In other embodiments of the invention, the fastening device11 may be a plurality of the foregoing.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, the changeably(unfixedly) attached toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) and the ankle strap(s) 9 maybe fastened by tying the opposite ends of the toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) andthe opposite ends of the ankle strap(s) 9 together, for example, in aknot or bow. Thus providing a means for keeping the footwear on the feetof the individual wearing the footwear.

The footwear of the present invention may be packaged in numerousfashions. In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that the base unit1 is packaged together with one or a plurality of interchangeable anklestraps 9 and/or toe straps 8 a. It is further contemplated that theankle straps 9 and/or toe strap(s) 8 (8 a) can be packaged separatelyfrom the base unit 1. It is also contemplated that the base unit 1 willbe individually packaged.

In the preceding specification, the invention has been described withreference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof. Itwill, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may bemade thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of theinvention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification anddrawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner ratherthan a restrictive sense.

1. Interchangeable footwear comprising: a base unit having an outsole, a midsole and an insole, wherein a front portion of the base unit has an opening therethrough for attachment of an interchangeable toe strap.
 2. The footwear of claim 1, further comprising a toe strap changeably attached to the base unit.
 3. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the front portion of the base unit has a plurality of openings for attachment of a plurality of toe straps.
 4. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening is circular.
 5. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening is elliptical.
 6. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening is oval.
 7. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening is rectangular.
 8. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening is square.
 9. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening is triangular.
 10. The footwear of claim 1, wherein the opening has a length in the range from about 1/16 inch to about 2 inches and a width in the range from about 0.5 mm to about 10 mm.
 11. The footwear of claim 2, further comprising a fastener device for fastening the toe straps to the base unit.
 12. The footwear of claim 11, wherein the fastener device is selected from the group consisting of a buckle, velcro, a snap, a button, a headed stud, a pin, a clip, a clamp, a coupling, a hook, a latch, a lock, a bracelet, a chain and combinations of the foregoing.
 13. The footwear of claim 2, further comprising a heel fixedly attached to the bottom of the outsole at the back portion of the base unit.
 14. The footwear of claim 13, wherein the length of the heal ranges from about ⅛ inch to about 6 inches.
 15. The footwear of claim 2, further comprising a heel support fixedly attached to the top of the insole at the back portion of the base unit.
 16. The footwear of claim 15, wherein the heel support is a strap.
 17. The footwear of claim 15, wherein the heel support is a plurality of heel straps.
 18. The footwear of claim 15, wherein the heel support contains an ankle strap slot attached thereto for changeable attachment of an ankle strap.
 19. The footwear of claim 15, wherein the heel support contains a plurality of ankle strap slots attached thereto for changeable attachment of a plurality of ankle straps.
 20. The footwear of claim 18, further comprising an ankle strap changeably attached to the heel support or heel strap by insertion through the ankle strap slot.
 21. The footwear of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of ankle straps changeably attached to the heel support.
 22. The footwear of claim 18, wherein the ankle strap slot has an opening ranging from about 1/16 inch to about 2 inches.
 23. The footwear of claim 2, wherein the toe strap comprises a material selected from the group consisting of leather, plastic, velcro, rubber, silk, rayon, cotton, denim, polyester, cashmere, twill, corduroy, satin, angora, natural and/or synthetic fur, vinyl, suede, licra, gems, stones, gold, silver, platinum and combinations thereof.
 24. The footwear of claim 20, wherein the ankle strap comprises a material selected from the group consisting of leather, plastic, velcro, rubber, silk, rayon, cotton, denim, polyester, cashmere, twill, corduroy, satin, angora, natural and/or synthetic fur, vinyl, suede, licra, gems, stones, gold, silver, platinum and combinations thereof.
 25. The footwear of claim 2, wherein the width of the toe strap ranges from about 1/16 inch to about 2 inches and the length from about 2 inches to about 10 inches.
 26. The footwear of claim 20, wherein the width of the ankle strap ranges from about 1/16 inch to about 2 inches and the length from about 2 inches to about 10 inches.
 27. The footwear of claim 20, further comprising a fastener device for fastening the ankle straps to the heel support.
 28. The footwear of claim 27, wherein the fastener device is a buckle, velcro, a snap, a button, a headed stud, a pin, a clip, a clamp, a coupling, a hook, a latch, a lock, a bracelet, a chain and combinations of the foregoing.
 29. Interchangeable footwear comprising: a base unit having an outsole, a midsole and an insole, wherein a back portion of the base unit has a heel support attached thereto, the heel support having an ankle strap slot that provides for changeable attachment of an ankle strap.
 30. The footwear of claim 29, further comprising an opening at the front portion of the base unit that provides for attachment of an interchangeable toe strap.
 31. Interchangeable footwear comprising: a base unit having an outsole, a midsole and an insole, wherein a front portion of the base unit has an opening therethrough for attachment of an interchangeable toe strap and a back portion of the base unit has a heel support attached thereto, the heel support having an ankle strap slot that provides for changeable attachment of an ankle strap. 